Photo-Op: Princes of the Turf

ENLARGE

Updated Feb. 26, 2011 12:01 a.m. ET

Longchamp, Chantilly, Deauville. Curragh. Epsom, Newmarket, Goodwood. These are evocative names for horse fans, recalling thoroughbred racing's long tradition in Europe. On this side of the Atlantic, horse racing is seen almost entirely in terms of the Triple Crown. Wonderful as that six-week racing season can be, Europe's thoroughbred traditions are the more venerable—and often the more photogenic, as most major races are run on grass rather than the dirt popular here. Aliysa flies down the stretch of the 1989 Epsom Oaks (first run in 1779) with nary a hoof touching the bright turf in the photograph above. Aliysa came out of the Aga Khan's stables: arguably the greatest of modern times. The third Aga Khan (1877- 1957) took to the turf in England with gusto in 1922—winning the Derby on five occasions (tied for most all-time) before his death. His son and grandson carried the success forward. 'A Racing and Breeding Tradition: The Horses of the Aga Khan' (Prestel, 287 pages, $75) is a sumptuous portrait of the family passion. The text, by Philip Jodidio, traces the stable's history and examines how great racehorses are bred and trained. The book closes with studies of the pedigrees of 10 of the Aga Khans' greatest horses, from Mumtaz Mahal to Zarkava. One, Nasrullah, was sold in 1950 to a Kentucky syndicate. He sired a then-record 98 graded-stakes winners; two Triple Crown winners, Secretariat and Seattle Slew, were direct descendants.

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